Pains in Growing a Company

When you have a great idea it is just that. You still have a whole lot of work to do that doesn't necessarily involve skills you have learned when turning it into a business. Imagine your animal inflatable toy comapany is growing rapidly. You need to expand, but have no idea how. Take a look at this article to see some experts help 3 companies relieve their growing pains.

Whether you've been in business for one year or 20, no owner can say he's built the company without any pitfalls or problems along the way. Below, three entrepreneurs with great products and services come forward with what's holding them back from their full potential--be it unreliable employees or bleak website traffic--and our experts offer their advice for getting past the obstacles. Chances are, you'll recognize one of their problems as your own. full story

8 Ways to Revamp Your Business Card

What does your business card say about you? Do people understand you sell vessel sinks when they look at your business card? How are you marketing yourself with your card? Entrepreneur.com has put together a list of 8 ways you can spice up your business card.

From leather to vertical layouts, business cards are getting a new look. Industry insiders weigh in on what's hip--and what's passé. more

Is Web 2.0 a fad, or something you need to harness?

Seems like if you are around the internet there is a nice little catchphrase popping up again and again. Web 2.0. People have it on aprons, coffee mugs, and whatever else you can print things on. So what is it worth to you, and is it something you need to even know about as a business owner?

Some media pundits and mainstream prognosticators are worried about Web 2.0 being a bubble. And they’re trying to get you worried, too. Is there something to their claims that New Media in general, and companies in the Web 2.0 arena in particular are exhibiting “bubble-like behavior” similar to the internet bubble of the late ’90s early ’00s?

I say… who cares?! And if you’re a business owner, marketer, or sales professional — you can say the same thing.

While there are financing elements that are showing bubble-like characteristics, there are important fundamental differences between the first internet bubble and what is going on with some Web 2.0 companies today. full story

The Benefit of Quiet

After a long day it is usually time to unwind. Hopefully it isn't something that may eventually put you into the rehabs. Mom entrepreneurs may have it most hectic of all.

anyone can benefit from some quiet time alone. But this is especially true for the mom entrepreneur. When I meet mommy moguls, I find that they're running full speed from the time the sun comes up until they crash on the pillow very late at night. They unanimously say their environments are noisy and chaotic. While this is normal, it's also unfortunate since quieting the mind can be very beneficial. full story

8 Mistakes to Avoid When Naming Your Business

Naming a business may seem like not much of a task, but what do you do when you have to name a business that sells colon cleanse products? Below is a list of 8 mistakes to avoid when naming a business.

Mistake #1: Getting the "committee" involved in your decision. We live in a democratic society, and it seems like the right thing to do--to involve everyone (your friends, family, employees and clients) in an important decision. This approach, however, presents a few problems. The first and most obvious fact is that you'll end up choosing only one name, so you risk alienating the very people you're trying to involve. Second, you often end up with a consensus decision, which results in a very safe, very vanilla name. A better method is to involve only the key decision-makers--the fewer the better--and select only the people you feel have the company's best interests at heart. The need for personal recognition can skew results, so you'll be best served by those who can park their egos at the door. Also make sure you have some right-brain types in the mix. Get too many left brains on board, and your name will most likely end up too literal and descriptive.

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Religion and the Workplace

Just like in schools that are around Arizona luxury real estate, the Midwest, or anywhere else, religion at work is something that many debate regularly. Entrepreneur.com wrote an article discussing this very topic recently and it may just be something you can use, or something you may want to debate.

Religion in the workplace can bring up some of the most difficult issues employers have to face. Resolving these issues requires understanding the law and balancing the business's needs with an employee's desire to practice his or her religion.

One of the most contentious conflicts is between an employee's desire to take time off and the potential reduction in productivity and profitability. Let's assume there's no collective bargaining agreement that expressly delineates the rights of the employer and employee regarding this subject. If such an agreement exists, its provisions will govern any dispute. Full story

Using football to help your business

American football that is. Football has become America's sport over the last couple decades and it is no surprise that everyone from digital cameras makers to car manufacturers are getting in on it to help promote their businesses. Why shouldn't you too?

Bratwurst wafting from the grills at the back ends of trucks crammed in a stadium parking lot. Fathers tossing the pigskin to their sons in backyards across America. Even the spectacle of Larry King prattling on about O.J. Simpson every night. They're signs that football season is truly here. more

Small Businesses to Spend $70 Billion Online by 2012

The internet is becoming an important part of many small businesses. Whether you want to get some relatively cheap advertising for products like a fire table, books, or digital cameras, you can usually find a way to do it cheaper online. So it is no surprise that over the course of the next 5 years online spending is going to increase substantially. Not only are the advertising budgets going to go up, but many other reasons for using the internet for your small business is becoming important.

As the number of small businesses continues to grow over the next five years, they will be spending more money online, new research shows.

In a new report, "U.S. Online Small Business Market Category Forecast, 2007 to 2012," New York-based JupiterResearch projects that total online spending by small businesses will exceed $70 billion by 2012, up from $47 billion in 2006. more

Getting Clients to Pay in Advance

Whether your business works with manufacturing cabinet hardware, or you just plain run a service business there may be a need to get paid before you actually deliver on the deal. How exactly do you get customers to pay you before you actually perform the deed you promise when you collect the cash? I ran a crossed an interesting article that helps explain just how to do this and some tips to make sure that you can get your customers to help you out...in advance.

For a small company, getting paid on time can mean the difference between having cash for an expansion and borrowing to pay the bills. But if you're a minor vendor, you may be last on your customers' payment priority list. One solution: getting clients to pay in advance. That's easier said than done, of course, because your customers like holding on to their cash as much as you like seeing them part with it. Nevertheless, clients will prepay if given the right incentives. Following are three stories of business owners who got sick of waiting around for payment and decided to do something about it. full story

Entrepreneur of the Year

All the ballots are being sent to the Mailboxes as we speak and soon we will know who Inc.coms Entrepreneur of the year is going to be. Check this site here to see who is nominated and what they are all about. There are links at the bottom of every nominee so you can shift to the next one after reading about the one thta is currently linked in this post. Fun read to see what kind of things are being mentioned.